La Manga del Mar Menor gets its own local police station

The new 24-hour station will bring San Javier’s police closer to residents on the northern half of La Manga

La Manga del Mar Menor now has its very own local police station. The new facility was officially opened by Fernando López Miras, President of the Region of Murcia, and José Miguel Luengo, Mayor of San Javier. It’s in the La Manga Beach building at kilometre 6.5 of the Gran Vía and will operate 24 hours a day. This is something the area hasn’t had until now. The station is 230 square metres and will gradually build up to a team of 18 officers.

La Manga is split between two municipalities. The northern half falls under San Javier, which is quite a distance from the town itself, while the southern half is part of Cartagena. Because of this division, services in La Manga can sometimes feel a little disjointed, for example, taxis and other services on the northern side have to be arranged from San Javier, while the southern side relies on Cartagena.

Until now, local police also had to travel from San Javier for shift changes and incidents in the northern half, which could slow response times. The southern end, meanwhile, is covered by Cartagena police based in Cabo de Palos. The new station helps solve this, bringing officers closer to residents and improving local coverage.

The station has been running since December, after the town invested over €500,000 to buy and adapt the building for police use. Inside, there are operational rooms, a detention area, offices for statements and reports, and a space adapted for victims of gender-based violence and other vulnerable groups. There’s also an office for San Javier’s Civil Protection Unit.

Mayor José Miguel Luengo explained that seven officers will start in February, with another six joining after San Javier completes its recruitment for 21 new local police positions, six of which are reserved for La Manga. It will soon have 13 permanent officers, eventually reaching 18.

Mayor Luengo said, “But beyond the inauguration of the new facilities, we want to show a firm commitment to citizen safety, the well-being of residents and the image of security in a tourist destination like La Manga.”

President Fernando López Miras added, “The new station represents a real improvement in the lives of many people who will be able to feel safer. The new facilities translate into better infrastructure, improved working conditions for officers, closeness and response capacity.”

He also highlighted regional support, “In the last two years, we have invested almost €1.5 million in San Javier’s Local Police,” including vehicles, motorcycles, drones and a 4x4 for harder-to-reach areas.

Image: San Javier Town Hall
Image 2: Archive